Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the eve of the Winter Olympics to pay tribute to our Canadian athletes who will represent us there.
Over the next two weeks these men and women will bring great pleasure to our citizens who will watch them on television and experience the thrills and disappointments of the competition.
I want to praise our athletes for their beauty and grace, their self-discipline and determination, and wish them a personal best in their performances.
However, the entire team did not go to Lillehammer. The real team reaches back in time to the volunteer coaches, referees and judges who launched these young athletes years ago and taught them to love sport and to compete fairly. It includes their parents and those athletes who over the years provided the competition against which they tested their skills and grew in competence.
On this occasion, on this eve, it is the entire team I wish to acknowledge and thank.